Lvl 64 Klutz:Fun stuff, although the article about the swords was a little out of left field. One paragraph of that story had anything remotely science centric about it. I like how scientific research seems to have gone from "What can we study to make life better?" to "What can we study that would be really really cool?"

How is this a bad thing? It's really, really cool!

Also we're overpopulated, we need to make life a little worse so the Earth doesn't end up like a clown car, i.e. way too many people stuffed into a small area. Although that does seem a little mean, because we all know if we need to get rid of some people, the 1st world nations aren't going to be the ones volunteering...

Lvl 64 Klutz:Fun stuff, although the article about the swords was a little out of left field. One paragraph of that story had anything remotely science centric about it. I like how scientific research seems to have gone from "What can we study to make life better?" to "What can we study that would be really really cool?"

How is this a bad thing? It's really, really cool!

Also we're overpopulated, we need to make life a little worse so the Earth doesn't end up like a clown car, i.e. way too many people stuffed into a small area. Although that does seem a little mean, because we all know if we need to get rid of some people, the 1st world nations aren't going to be the ones volunteering...

OT: I want those chlorophyl drops!

I was being serious, actually. "I like how..." isn't always used in the sarcastic sense ;)

My only thoughts are about the sword article. I think the high quality of the swords he produced is more because of carbon remaining from burning dead tissue, not phosphorus, but I'm no expert on this, I guess someone eventually will prove me wrong.

When I die I will have my bones brought in a ceremonial chest to this great smith. He will then forge my vengeful angry spirit into a terrible felblade containing all my hate and disgust for this world. With it I shall possess its users and drive them into a mad murderous frenzy from which I will end this pathetic planet from beyond the grave.

Nice, a science column. Kinda makes The Escapist a decent supplement to the 6+ hours I spend every day consuming media. Of course, for me, you guys will never replace New Scientist for science news. Just nice to have more interesting information coming in per week.

To those who worry about "black hole apocalypse":CERN is awesome for what they contribute to the world, and they are absolutely right. There is no chance that the black hole made in the hadron collider would explode the world... I mean, really. The reason why the black hole we commonly hear about has such gravity as to destroy a planet is that it's an imploded sun. The ones they are making at Geneva have less mass than a spoon. Get it right.

Because as it gained mass, the black hole would eventually consume more and more of whatever was around it. Sort of like a brother-in-law who "visits" for a "weekend" and eventually expands to the size of your fold-away guest bed while eating all the food in the house.

Seriously, that's exactly how Stephen Hawking described it. Only he did it with his cool speech synthesizer.

Also, huzzah for a new article! Will Lauren Admire reach those dizzying heights of scientific awesomeness inhabited by the likes of Mr. Wizard, Bill Nye and Beakman? Only time will tell!

It will take 2000 light years??? to reach the blackhole And how much energy will be needed for the journey? If this is in place garbage disposal fee will be in the thousand/100kg sth like that. CERN have not built blackhole larger than the head of a small pin. Its just not technologically viable yet.

Silva:Nice, a science column. Kinda makes The Escapist a decent supplement to the 6+ hours I spend every day consuming media. Of course, for me, you guys will never replace New Scientist for science news. Just nice to have more interesting information coming in per week.

To those who worry about "black hole apocalypse":CERN is awesome for what they contribute to the world, and they are absolutely right. There is no chance that the black hole made in the hadron collider would explode the world... I mean, really. The reason why the black hole we commonly hear about has such gravity as to destroy a planet is that it's an imploded sun. The ones they are making at Geneva have less mass than a spoon. Get it right.

Well spoken =) Quite apart from anything else, the scientists at CERN don't want to cause the apocalypse any more than you do - they'd either have to stop searching for the Higgs boson, or if they found it they wouldn't be able to redefine physics. Plus, the facility was incredibly expensive, and believe me, scientists are nothing of not money-conscious, since they rely on the notoriously fickle grace of things like governments for research funding.

My only thoughts are about the sword article. I think the high quality of the swords he produced is more because of carbon remaining from burning dead tissue, not phosphorus, but I'm no expert on this, I guess someone eventually will prove me wrong.

That is closer to the truth than you know. :)

At the risk of being boring and textbooky, bones actually do contain phosphorous - the mineral component of bones is largely hydroxyapatite, otherwise known as calcium phosphate(alveit in a slightly modified form) So yes, you'd get photsphate from the bones, but as you say, also a lot of carbon. We already know the effect carbon has on iron metallurgy (i.e. steel) but as for how phoshorous contributes to strength in a sword... =)

LilGherkin:So, what I'm getting is that they're making an eye drop that will let me do this that comes from leaf extract. What happens if I just eat a lot of leaves from a tree?

Well, depending on the tree, you might be violently sick (in which case the chlorophyll will never make it into your system) or drop dead (in which case you don't need the chlorophyll). If you can eat the leaves, then chances are the chlorophyll molecules would be broken down metabolically in your liver, or even initially in the acid in your stomach before they made it to your bloodstream, and even then they might not make it to your eye from the inside, as it were. Topical application (eyedrops) would be the more direct route. And as with most of these things, the relationship between the concentration that you might get from eating leaves and the concentration needed in your eye to give the effect might mean that you had to eat like 20 tons of leaves just to see any difference. =)

Well, depending on the tree, you might be violently sick (in which case the chlorophyll will never make it into your system) or drop dead (in which case you don't need the chlorophyll). If you can eat the leaves, then chances are the chlorophyll molecules would be broken down metabolically in your liver, or even initially in the acid in your stomach before they made it to your bloodstream, and even then they might not make it to your eye from the inside, as it were. Topical application (eyedrops) would be the more direct route. And as with most of these things, the relationship between the concentration that you might get from eating leaves and the concentration needed in your eye to give the effect might mean that you had to eat like 20 tons of leaves just to see any difference. =)

Regarding the swordsmith, I didn't deny that there is phosphorus in our bones(according to every single yoghurt ad - it is), I just wonder about its use in metallurgy, actually its the first time I hear of such combination.

Now about the chlorophyll - my question is - Isn't it still poisonous? Even if not, it's still vomit-inducing and very hazardous for humans to eat/dring/somehow absorb chlorophyll. It is quite common within the animal kingdom, to eat grass, leaves and chlorophyll-based stuff to purify ones body from various toxins coming with food, as I said before, by vomiting.

Silva:To those who worry about "black hole apocalypse":CERN is awesome for what they contribute to the world, and they are absolutely right. There is no chance that the black hole made in the hadron collider would explode the world... I mean, really. The reason why the black hole we commonly hear about has such gravity as to destroy a planet is that it's an imploded sun. The ones they are making at Geneva have less mass than a spoon. Get it right.

Less mass than a spoon?It's just two protons colliding - or roughly... uhh... *does some math* ... 3.64x10^-34 percent of the mass needed for a black hole to last for one second.

Well, depending on the tree, you might be violently sick (in which case the chlorophyll will never make it into your system) or drop dead (in which case you don't need the chlorophyll). If you can eat the leaves, then chances are the chlorophyll molecules would be broken down metabolically in your liver, or even initially in the acid in your stomach before they made it to your bloodstream, and even then they might not make it to your eye from the inside, as it were. Topical application (eyedrops) would be the more direct route. And as with most of these things, the relationship between the concentration that you might get from eating leaves and the concentration needed in your eye to give the effect might mean that you had to eat like 20 tons of leaves just to see any difference. =)

Regarding the swordsmith, I didn't deny that there is phosphorus in our bones(according to every single yoghurt ad - it is), I just wonder about its use in metallurgy, actually its the first time I hear of such combination.

Now about the chlorophyll - my question is - Isn't it still poisonous? Even if not, it's still vomit-inducing and very hazardous for humans to eat/dring/somehow absorb chlorophyll. It is quite common within the animal kingdom, to eat grass, leaves and chlorophyll-based stuff to purify ones body from various toxins coming with food, as I said before, by vomiting.

Chlorophyll isn't poisonous at all - by vomiting or death I was thinking of other components of leaves that might be less savoury. You get chlorophyll every time you eat lettuce/spinach etc. I was thinking of stuff like foxglove leaves, cherry and rhubarb leaves, hemlock, oak leaves, yew leaves, buttercups...stuff that contains cyano compound or alkaloids, and a few other alarming substances. But for a few bonds and a magnesium atom, chlorophyll is basically the same as haem, the red component of your blood that keeps you alive =)

LilGherkin:So, what I'm getting is that they're making an eye drop that will let me do this that comes from leaf extract. What happens if I just eat a lot of leaves from a tree?

Well, depending on the tree, you might be violently sick (in which case the chlorophyll will never make it into your system) or drop dead (in which case you don't need the chlorophyll). If you can eat the leaves, then chances are the chlorophyll molecules would be broken down metabolically in your liver, or even initially in the acid in your stomach before they made it to your bloodstream, and even then they might not make it to your eye from the inside, as it were. Topical application (eyedrops) would be the more direct route. And as with most of these things, the relationship between the concentration that you might get from eating leaves and the concentration needed in your eye to give the effect might mean that you had to eat like 20 tons of leaves just to see any difference. =)